Unearthing the voices of British veterans of the Korean War

These two lessons are designed to introduce students to the fact that the Korean War has become a
forgotten war in Britain and to reflect on the reasons for this.

A key element is students hearing the voices of the veterans, but students will also get the chance to use
other source material to place these voices into context.

In addition, students will see how learning about the veterans’ experiences can make the Korean War
a remembered war, and they will engage with the concept of memorialisation.

Key areas of focus

• Why the Korean War is a forgotten war in Britain, using the voices of the veterans and recent
  scholarship as evidence on this issue.
• Why Korea should not be forgotten.
• How the Korean war has been memorialised in Britain.
• How oral testimony (what veterans choose to share) reflects the concerns of the society at the time
  they speak and how history is constructed by people living after the events.